Blair: 'Don't blame me for Iraq inquiry delays'

Tony Blair insists he is not to blame for the delays in the publication of the Chilcot Inquiry.

In astatement released on Wednesday the former
Prime Minister called claims he was behind the delay incorrect
and "politically motivated".

The extensive inquiry
into the effects and legality of the 2003 invasion of Iraq will
not be published until after the 2015 General Election, leaving
those who believed its conclusion should be put before voters
dismayed.

It was revealed on
Tuesday that the chairman of the inquiry, Sir John Chilcot, will
outline the reason for the prolonged postponement in
aletterto David Cameron on
Wednesday.

A cross-party selection of backbench MPs were due to debate the
release of the report of the inquiry, which last took evidence
from a witness in 2011, on January 29 and were expected to demand
immediate publication.

One reason for the extensive delays was the “salmon
letters” sent by Chilcot to those criticized in the inquiry
to give them an opportunity to defend themselves prior to
publication.

The Prime Minister has previously expressed his frustration at
the delays, which have reportedly centered on how much of the
private correspondence between former British and US leaders Tony
Blair and George W. Bush can be made public.

It was decided in June last year that the “gist” of the
conversations could be released; seemingly removing one of the
major obstacles, but the report remained unpublished.

Blair has denied he has any responsibility for the delay in
publication and sources close to the former PM say that the main
cause of the problem lies with the civil service and relations
between the UK and US intelligence agencies.

The release of the inquiry was discussed by David Cameron and US
President Barack Obama at the White House last week.

Ministers who believed it was essential to publish the report
before the general election have responded with fury, calling it
a “scandal”.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg accused the inquiry of
“sexing down” the findings to meet with the needs of the
establishment.

In a letter to Chilcot he said that both the families of soldiers
and the general public would find the delays
“incomprehensible.”

“The public have waited long enough and will find it
incomprehensible that the report is not being published more
rapidly than the open-ended timetable you have now set out,”
he wrote.

“We need to see a much clearer and more defined timetable,
known publicly, with strict deadlines and a firm date for
publication.”

“If the findings are not published with a sense of immediacy,
there is a real danger the public will assume the report is being
‘sexed down’ by individuals rebutting criticisms put to them by
the inquiry, whether that is the case or not,” he added.

There is speculation that if the report had been published prior
to election it would have been most detrimental to Labour and was
likely to benefit the LibDems most.

Tony Blair remains adamant that he did not mislead parliament
about the intelligence he received that Saddam Hussein was
stockpiling weapons of mass destruction – the official reason for
the invasion. The original informants, however, have since been
discredited.

Angus Robertson, the SNP’s Westminster leader said: “If
Chilcot is to be delayed again it would be an absolute
scandal.”